Do Michigan consumers want to go forward or backward in reducing their electric bills and modernizing the state’s power system? The Michigan Legislature is about to make this choice in legislation sponsored by Sen. Mike Nofs and Rep. Aric Nesbitt. Their proposals would take the state backward.

Sixteen years ago, under the leadership of Gov. John Engler, the state moved to get consumers out from under the control of the monopolies supplying electric power. While it was never set up as a truly fair “playing field,” customers receiving their power from competitive suppliers grew to a high of 18 percent of the market. But by 2008, the big utilities succeeded in capping the competition at just 10 percent of the market. While Nofs said his bill (Senate Bill 437) would preserve that small amount of competition, it would impose additional restrictions that competitive suppliers are certain would push them out of business in Michigan. Meanwhile, thousands of Michiganians remain on a waiting list hoping to escape from their monopoly supplier.